Speechie Side Up

In this podcourse, we are joined by Rochel Lieberman, PhD, CCC-SLP, the founder and owner of WholeStory Speech, a private practice in Brooklyn, New York, serving children with social-emotional challenges, co-treating their parents as an integral part of her work. She is the creator of the WholeStory Approach and a researcher in Story Emotion Social Therapy (SEST), an approach that uses wholesome storytelling to support mindful language and social communication.

We explore the WholeStory framework and how storytelling can support regulation, connection, and social communication in children with social-emotional needs.

Participants learn how Story Emotion Social Therapy (SEST) integrates speech-language therapy and mental health principles, and provides practical strategies to support families in using storytelling in daily life to strengthen social communication across real-world experiences.

In this podcourse, I interview Rachel Zukose, an ASHA-certified SLP in New York who works in a special-needs school and a medical private practice, about advocacy in action for AAC/assistive technology across school, therapy, and home.

Rachel shares cases of school pushback (refusing AAC evals, IEP resistance, and cell phone bans), contrasts smoother adult AAC experiences, and highlights barriers such as parent concerns, lack of team carryover, charging, and limited device knowledge.

Strategies include team-wide shared Google Docs for programming requests, parent/staff trainings, low-tech backups, consistent modeling, home “base” locations for devices, leveraging IDEA and state law, using insurance when needed, and providing advocacy resources and templates.

This episode is the third annual SLP Business Connect event joined by panelists Elise Mitchell (school contracting/Therapist Support Network), Marcia Church (private practice/Speech Stars Branding), Calonda Henry (Broad Horizon Speech Therapy/Certified Practice), Sarah Breshears (Social Moguls), and Isabelle De Castro (mobile SLP/Private Practice Connection).

The panel discusses overcoming fear and imposter syndrome (mindset shifts, serving the client, accountability), handling legal/financial mistakes with transparency and professional help, and building confidence in promoting services.

They also cover legal basics for starting (PLLC/LLC, EIN, NPI 1/2, insurance, business address), when to use lawyers/accountants, contracts/policies for schools and private practice, time management and burnout prevention (boundaries, calendars, phone focus modes), marketing without being on camera, building steady referrals (social media, networking, Google Business Profile), setting rates and insurance vs private pay considerations, choosing business models, and a 30-day startup roadmap.

In this Literacy Connect podcourse, we feature Dr. Denae Lawson’s presentation on evidence-based small-group literacy instruction, differentiation, support for emergent literacy and at-risk populations, and strategies for bilingual/multilingual learners.

Denae, a K–2 reading specialist and former literacy interventionist, explains science of reading practices including word mapping (Elkonin boxes), heart words for high-frequency words, oral blending and segmenting, and the importance of spelling.

She outlines a 20-minute small-group routine (fluency, blending, segmenting/encoding, student-centered decodable reading, and writing response) with strong management, seating, and accountability.

Denae also describes differentiating by tier, prioritizing quality over quantity and maintaining grade-level exposure, and recommends relationship-building, background knowledge/vocabulary development, book access, and home supports like captions.

In this Literacy Connect podcourse, we interview Speech-Language Pathologist Megan Stewart, who has over 20 years experience supporting students with complex communication needs and runs Sensible Literacy.

Megan shares ways to incorporate literacy daily (varied opportunities, letter hunts, sound/word games, captions) and explains AAC types and how to adapt activities.

She also discusses book characteristics that support language, then reviews AI and assistive technology tools (Canva, Microsoft Reading Coach/Copilot, Tar Heel Reader, text-to-speech, Bookshare, Learning Ally, screen readers, scan pens, page fluffers, overlays) and key resources like Project Core.

In this Literacy Connect podcourse, we are joined by Leanne Dall’s, an ASHA- and EBLI-certified pediatric SLP, as she explains the reciprocal relationship between oral and written language, noting literacy can strengthen phonemic awareness, vocabulary, and metalinguistic skills, and that children with developmental language disorder or speech sound disorders are at risk for reading and writing difficulties.

She outlines structured linguistic literacy principles (letters spell sounds; sounds can be spelled with 1–4 letters; multiple spellings per sound; spellings can have multiple pronunciations), links benefits to cognitive load theory, and shares practical ways to incorporate print into sessions, including using letters for phonemic awareness and speech-sound work and integrating curriculum-based disciplinary literacy tasks.

In this Literacy Connect podcourse, we interview Britney Morrish, founder of the Language and Literacy Clinic of Manitoba, about “The ABCs of Assessment” for language and literacy evaluations, including dyslexia.

Britnney discusses concerns that schools identify only about 18% of students with developmental language disorder due to limited systematic language screening, contrasts balanced literacy/3-cueing with structured literacy, and reviews using multiple tools (favoring TILLS over CELF for sensitivity/specificity).

She describes a quadrant model differentiating dyslexia and DLD (often co-occurring), accommodations like audiobooks and text-to-speech/speech-to-text, and integrating assessment data into intervention using diagnostic screeners, UFLI scope and sequence, and interleaved practice.

In this Literacy Connect podcourse, we are joined by Brianna Guild, a private-practice SLP in Ontario and creator of SLP Literacy Corner, to dive into literacy essentials toolkit for SLPs.

Brianna explains reading models (Simple View of Reading, Scarborough’s Reading Rope, Active View of Reading), speech-to-print vs print-to-speech approaches, and notes limited comparative research on “best” programs or phonics scope and sequence.

She discusses SLP roles in literacy (direct intervention, indirect support, advocacy/education, research) and key instructional components (phonological/phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension), providing activity ideas such as phoneme isolation, “Say It, Move It, Spell It,” word building/sorts, reading with feeling, word ladders, Frayer models, and inference organizers, often using Pokémon-themed examples and resources like the Pokédex.

In this Literacy Connect podcourse, we are joined by Elizabeth Doherty (“Reading SLP”) in a presentation on the connection between dyslexia and word recognition, outlining objectives to define word recognition, why it’s difficult, key dyslexia characteristics, and how SLPs can support treatment.

Elizabeth explains reading as word recognition plus linguistic comprehension (Simple View of Reading) and describes word recognition as progressing from phonological awareness to decoding to orthographic mapping and sight word recognition (Scarborough’s Reading Rope), emphasizing reading is not natural and often requires explicit, repeated instruction.

She details challenges including weak phonological awareness in speech/language students, English’s opaque and morphophonemic system, and inconsistent instruction.

Dyslexia is defined as a neurobiological, phonological-based difficulty with accurate, fluent word recognition; it is not visual, not intelligence-related, and not a comprehension disorder.

She recommends multisensory structured literacy (e.g., Orton-Gillingham), early identification, assistive technology, and highlights overlap with DLD and risk with persistent SSD and apraxia, sharing key resources including IDA fact sheets and an SLP-focused dyslexia guide.

This podcourse is part of the SLP CreativeCon. SLP CreativeCon is an online business conference event for entrepreneurs and creators in the field of Speech-Language Pathology where attendees learnt about social media marketing, branding, private practice, financial planning, time management, and the most important things to do when starting a business. 

In this episode, I am joined by Alexandria Wynter Russell, M.S., CCC-SLP. Alexandria is a Medical Speech Pathologist, Private Practice Owner, and Business Mentor.

She has 10 years of experience as a medical speech pathologist specializing in the adult and senior population with chronic conditions and is helping patients to improve their cognitive, communication, language, and swallowing skills.

Her holistic approach to therapy incorporates nutrition, advocacy, health literacy, community, and mental health into patients' plan of care. She has worked for some of the top healthcare systems in Philadelphia including Penn Medicine at Home & Hospice Services, Mercy Home Health, Bayada, and the ACTs Retirement Life Communities.  

Over the last decade, she's specialized in treating the adult & senior population across multiple settings including: the home & community, subacute, memory units, psych units, skilled nursing, and assisted living facilities.

This podcourse is part of the SLP CreativeCon. SLP CreativeCon is an online business conference event for entrepreneurs and creators in the field of Speech-Language Pathology where attendees learnt all about social media marketing, branding, private practice, financial planning, time management, and the most important things to do when starting a business.

In this episode, I am joined by Jena Castro-Casbon, MS CCC-SLP. Jena has helped 20,000+ speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists start a private practice in order to have more freedom, flexibility and financial independence. Jena is the founder of The Independent Clinician, author of The Path to Private Practice and creator of The Start and Grow Your Private Practice Programs. She wants private practice to be as popular for SLPs and OTs as it is for Psychologists.

This podcourse is part of the SLP CreativeCon. SLP CreativeCon is an online business conference event for entrepreneurs and creators in the field of Speech-Language Pathology where attendees learnt all about social media marketing, branding, private practice, financial planning, time management, and the most important things to do when starting a business.

In this episode I am joined by Craig M. Goldslager, CExP™️ who is the owner of Utterly Financial. Craig graduated from the University of Miami Herbert Business School and received a Master of Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University.

He is married to speech pathology. Literally. As the husband of a practicing SLP, he knows the business landscape of Speech Pathology is constantly changing and so too are the financial implications of being an SLP.

Utterly Financial was created to help Speech Language Pathologists and Private Practice Owners plan for an exceptional retirement. As a Certified Exit Planner, he strategizes with private practice owners to plan an ideal exit from their business on their terms.

This podcourse is part of the SLP CreativeCon. SLP CreativeCon is an online business conference event for entrepreneurs and creators in the field of Speech-Language Pathology where attendees learnt all about social media marketing, branding, private practice, financial planning, time management, and the most important things to do when starting a business.

In this episode, I am joined by Sarah Breshears, a Speech-Language Pathologist, Social Media Strategist, and owner of Social Moguls.

Sarah has 8 years of clinical experience as an SLP in acute care, inpatient rehab, outpatient peds and adults, schools, and private practice...and that's just the beginning. After drumming up social media content and weaving the online SLP community together behind the Short and Sweet Speech brand, she took her career to new heights and founded Social Moguls, a social media management company for medical professionals.

She finds the greatest joy in helping her clients increase the visibility of their brand so that they can help more patients, reach more people, and bring more awareness to the SLP profession. As with her patients, she helps the businesses she works with find, improve, and amplify their voice. With the help of her team of 4 SLPs, an OT, and a graphic designer, Sarah provides a DIY course on strategically using socials, one-on-one social media coaching, and done-for-you social media management for some of the most well-known brands in the SLP world.

When she’s not leading her team of content creators and keeping it real on Reels, she’s momming two frenchies, Betty White and Jack Black, and bringing optimism and positivity to the Instagram community. She is an avid traveler, scuba diver, CEU addict, and oral care advocate.

This podcourse is part of the SLP CreativeCon. SLP CreativeCon is an online business conference event for entrepreneurs and creators in the field of Speech-Language Pathology where attendees learnt all about social media marketing, branding, private practice, financial planning, time management, and the most important things to do when starting a business.

In this episode, I am joined by Jacqueline Jebian Garcia, a Neurodivergent SLP and the creator of Create Yourself Co. Jacqui is working as a full-time Social Emotional Coach for a research project at the University of Miami.

This podcourse is part of the SLP CreativeCon. SLP CreativeCon is an online business conference event for entrepreneurs and creators in the field of Speech-Language Pathology where attendees learnt all about social media marketing, branding, private practice, financial planning, time management, and the most important things to do when starting a business.

In this episode, I am joined by the founders of SLP Toolkit, Lisa Kathman, M.S. CCC-SLP and Sarah Bevier, M.S. CCC-SLP. SLP Toolkit is a universal assessment program that is accessible from any device, comprehensive, and digital. It's software was designed so that SLPs can accurately and confidently collect, record, and report data and have access to quality assessments.

Lisa graduated from Florida International University with an undergraduate degree in Psychology and of Arizona State University with a degree in Communication Disorders. She has been a Speech Language Pathologist since 1997 and had the opportunity to work in various environments such as home health, preschools, private practice and served as the lead SLP for K-12 in the largest school district in Arizona. She has developed a sensitivity to needs of all SLPs and is confident working with private practices and school districts alike.

Sarah is a graduate of Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing and a Master’s degree in Communication Disorders. She has worked in the field of Speech Language Pathology since 2006 and have worn many hats including Speech-Language Pathology Assistant, Speech-Language Technician and Speech-Language Pathologist. Working exclusively in schools has provided her with a great insight into the importance technology plays in the success of an SLP.

This podcourse is part of the SLP CreativeCon. SLP CreativeCon is an online business conference event for entrepreneurs and creators in the field of Speech-Language Pathology where attendees learnt all about social media marketing, branding, private practice, financial planning, time management, and the most important things to do when starting a business.

In this episode, I am joined by Kristin Bowers, a Speech-Language Pathologist and owner of Therapy Marketing Kit.

After watching too many fellow SLPs become disheartened by the process of creating marketing, Kristin realized there was a better way. With a unique combination of graphic design expertise and experience as an SLP, she now helps private practices and other businesses with their own marketing.

In this SLP Creative Con podcourse, we welcome back Sarah Breshears, an SLP and social media strategist, and founder of Social Moguls.

Sarah explains that strategic intent—not just posting—makes social media marketing, emphasizing defining the “who” (ideal audience) and creating content with intentions to entertain, educate, empathize, inspire, or sell.

She walks through Eugene Schwartz’s customer awareness journey (unaware to fully aware) and describes social media as a “funnel filler” supported by lead magnets, email nurturing, and websites to move lurkers into loyalists.

Sarah also discuss buyer behavior shifting to Instagram/TikTok for social proof and recommend automating with ManyChat, Flodesk, and Zapier.

In this SLP Creative Con podcourse, Rhian Dodd-Tovey, UK-trained accountant and owner of RDT Support, teaches “Bookkeeping 101” for SLP business owners, covering compliance, tax considerations, tools, and payment options.

She explains common business structures—sole proprietorship, LLC/PLLC, and S-corp election (often beneficial around $60,000 in profit)—noting that sole proprietors and single-member LLCs generally file on Schedule C, while partnerships and corporations have March 15 business-return deadlines.

Rhian details 1099 rules (services over $600 paid via cash/check/Venmo/Zelle, deadlines, penalties, and W-9s), contrasts W-2 vs 1099 contractor tax responsibilities, and defines bookkeeping as tracking income, expenses, receipts, and owner draws/contributions to determine taxable net profit.

She recommends separate business bank accounts, saving 25–30% for taxes with quarterly estimates, using tools like Wave/QuickBooks/Xero, generating core reports (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow), tracking sales tax for physical products, and using systems like Gusto for payroll.

In this SLP Creative Con podcourse, we are joined by Daj Mitchell, a Speech-Language Pathologist and mobile pediatric private practice owner, to focus on using AI to streamline SLP businesses and support therapy.

Daj demos ChatGPT to generate and revise an AAC-friendly social story and discuss using AI for captions, emails, job postings, and social media strategies, emphasizing that AI output must be edited.

She highlights tools including Canva MagicWrite/Magic Switch (turning a presentation into a blog post/handout), Magic School AI, Diffit, Brisk Teaching, marketing-focused Copy.ai, and documentation assistants/EMRs such as ambiki (Kiki Create and Tentalog), EverAbility, and Freed AI, noting HIPAA compliance differences.

Ethical guidelines include avoiding identifying info, obtaining informed consent (e.g., for recording), maintaining professional oversight, ensuring accuracy, continuing education, and following the ASHA Code of Ethics.

We note AI can improve rapport, handout access (including translations), and analysis of large data sets to support patient outcomes.

In this SLP Creative Con podcourse, we invited Marcia Church, a licensed SLP since 2008 and owner of Pediatric Speech Stars and Speech Stars Branding, to discuss brand-building success for SLP private practices.

We outline how cohesive branding goes beyond a logo to include consistent client touch points, and Marcia argues branding should be prioritized early to attract ideal clients, build trust, strengthen online presence, and create opportunities, sharing examples from community events, referrals, and professional roles.

Marcia recommends investing in professional logo/brand kits (not Canva-made logos), a simple one-page website, branding photos, consistent Canva brand kits, and polished email signatures, plus optimizing a Google Business Profile using a virtual address, local SEO support, and systematic review requests at discharge.

We differentiate personal brands (targeting SLPs) from practice brands (targeting parents) and review social media ethics: avoid misrepresentation or cure claims, and obtain informed consent for testimonials and identifiable client media.

Marcia closes with do’s and don’ts for starting a practice, including trademark searches, mentorship, networking, and boundary-setting.

In this SLP Creative Con podcourse, we interview Anesha Frazer, an ASHA-certified SLP and founder of Entrepreneurial SLP,, about guiding private-practice SLPs through real estate decisions, including when it’s time to seek office space, leasing versus purchasing, and what to look for in a clinic.

Nish emphasizes deciding based on predictable revenue, market conditions, interest rates, and long-term goals such as expansion or renting to tenants. She compares leasing flexibility and lower upfront costs with buying benefits like equity growth, tax advantages, and greater control, while noting added responsibilities (maintenance, CAM fees, potential assessments).

Practical considerations include zoning, location, wall soundproofing, layout for services, accessibility/ADA, parking, and bathrooms. Legal and financial topics include multiple insurance layers, personal credit, DUNS numbers, SBA 7(a) loans, variable-rate refinancing, and asset protection via separate LLCs and trusts.

In this SLP Creative Con podcourse, we are joined by Elise Mitchell, owner of the Therapist Support Network, as we discuss direct school contracting for SLPs/OTs/PTs.

Elise shares her background, including leaving SNF work and staffing-company roles due to burnout and starting direct contracting after connecting with a rural SPED director, leading to her business supporting providers who want to “work with schools, not for them.”

We define school contracting as a direct agreement between a provider/private practice and a district (removing the middleman) and note it can be full-time, part-time, specialized, in-person, or virtual.

Elise outlines good candidate traits (school experience, independence, willingness to market, and optional multiple revenue streams), pros (flexibility, control, setting rates) and cons (lack of benefits, contract instability).

She describes three steps—sell, contract, execute—covering outreach to SPED directors, job-board targeting, vendor requirements, contract clauses (caseload caps, space, termination), billing/invoicing, and scaling via subcontractors.

In this Behavior Connect podcourse, we interview Iris Wong, a speech-language pathologist with 15 years’ experience who pivoted into executive functioning (EF) work after recognizing her and her children’s neurodivergence; she is also an author and owner of EFToolkit.

Iris describes EF as brain-based skills developing over decades and reviews skills such as inhibition, working memory, emotional control, flexibility, sustained attention, task initiation, planning, organization, time management, goal persistence, metacognition, and stress tolerance, noting EF grows naturally but may be asynchronous in neurodivergent people; she mentions assessments like the BRIEF and tools by George McCloskey and Tara Sumter.

She explains PDA (also called pervasive drive for autonomy) as a commonly autism-related profile not in DSM-5, characterized by sensitive nervous systems, anxiety-based demand avoidance, masking, and a drive for equality, with educational fit often requiring flexibility.

ADHD presentations (inattentive, hyperactive/impulsive, combined) are reviewed and she emphasize EBP’s triangle, including caregiver/client perspectives, and share neuro-affirming strategies like collaboration, menus/visual supports, relationship-first safety, and shifting away from deficit language.

In this Behavior Connect podcourse, we welcome back Jaqueline Jebian Garcia, a neurodivergent parent and Sensory Trained and Somatic Trauma-informed SLP, who is passionate about neurodiversity-affirming practice through polyvagal theory.

We discuss polyvagal theory, reframing behavior, co-regulation, safety, and connection strategies.

Jackie explains Stephen Porges’ polyvagal theory as emphasizing the autonomic nervous system and vagus nerve, describing a hierarchy of ventral vagal (social engagement), sympathetic (mobilization/fight-flight), and dorsal vagal (immobilization/shutdown), plus blended states.

Key principles include hierarchy, neuroception (subconscious threat/safety detection), and co-regulation.

Jackie discuss viewing children’s behaviors as adaptive survival responses shaped by environment, the role of implicit and explicit “polyvagal communication” (face, voice, prosody, posture), examples of co-regulation in real life and schools, and practical therapy-room strategies to foster felt safety so communication and learning are accessible.

In this Behavior Connect podcourse, we have Rachel Archambault, a Broward County Public Schools speech-language program specialist and owner of PTSD SLP LLC, to discuss applying trauma-informed care to therapy situations often labeled as “behaviors” or “noncompliance.”

Rachel shares her 2018 workplace traumatic experience that led her to trauma-informed education and outlines an agenda covering trauma definitions, impacts, connection over compliance, and practical strategies.

She defines trauma as overwhelming control, connection, and meaning, emphasizes survival brain vs learning brain, and describes fight/flight/freeze responses that can be misinterpreted as ADHD or defiance.

Using SAMHSA’s framework (realize, respond, resist retraumatization) and six pillars (safety, choice, collaboration, trust, empowerment, cultural issues), she highlights relationship-building before data collection, avoiding “trauma detective” behavior, reflecting on provider dysregulation and co-regulation, and considering systemic biases, school policies (e.g., phone bans), and cultural factors (e.g., fasting).

In this Behavior Connect podcourse, we are joined by Cari Ebert, a Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist to discuss challenges discussing autism, defining neurodiversity, and identifying affirming provider traits and parent takeaways.

Cari explains why autism conversations are hard: outdated ableist training and deficit language, uncertainty because autism traits fluctuate, anticipating caregiver denial, and fear of not having answers; she suggests focusing on the next six months and using “social learning differences” while building rapport.

She defines neurodiversity as natural brain differences and neurodiversity-affirming practice as strengths-based support that fixes environments, not children, and discusses ableism and neurotypical/neurodivergent terms.

Cari also addresses ABA, citing a 2024 meta-analysis finding no evidence intensive behavioral therapy improves outcomes, and emphasizes supports for regulation, connection, communication, autonomy, and accommodations.

Key provider traits include amplifying autistic voices, presuming competence, using neutral language, honoring all play and multimodal communication, and prioritizing environmental accommodations; she also discusses gestalt play/language processing and recommends Rachel Dorsey, highlights “Sincerely Your Autistic Child,” and shares that diagnosis is not an emergency and parents should love and accept the child in front of them.

In this Behavior Connect podcourse, we interview Dr. Diamond Rashad, a neurodivergent pediatric occupational therapist and disability advocate, about promoting safety and connection during dysregulation.

We discuss cultivating connection through child-centered care, caregiver collaboration, routines (e.g., consistent session flow, shoe removal for comfort), curiosity, and appropriately matching energy.

Dr. Diamond describes signs of dysregulation (e.g., sudden silliness, repetitive/self-soothing behaviors escalating, hyperactivity, inability to follow instructions, lethargy/shutdown, frequent snack-seeking) and warns that behavioral strategies can trigger fight/flight/fawn/freeze responses and power struggles.

Strategies include offering supports before escalation, reducing sensory input during meltdowns, using movement, deep pressure, bubbles/breathing, environmental modifications, and caregiver coaching.

We then connect relational approaches to goals using spoon theory, sensory profiles, and avoiding dismissing adult dysregulation.

In this podcourse episode, we welcome back Daj Mitchell to discuss evidence-based caregiver coaching strategies for AAC.

Daj explains Andragogy (Malcolm Knowles), including adult learning assumptions (autonomy, experience, relevance, internal motivation, problem-solving) and principles such as involving adults in planning, using their experience, and clarifying end goals, with examples like collaboratively setting up device charging routines.

She also shares a visual “stair-step” AAC acceptance/buy-in journey, from unaware to curious/cautious to open/overwhelmed to motivated/needing structure, with possible advocacy, and discusses its dynamic nature and potential research applications.

Evidence-based coaching strategies highlighted include joint planning, observation, action/practice, reflection, and feedback, with practical adaptations for school, EI, and other settings using consult time, video modeling, and the SET Framework.

In this podcourse episode, Sophie Anais Renoir returns, a Speech-Language Pathologist who has advocated for early intervention and New York’s consumer-directed patient assistance program (CDPAP).

Sophie explains how clinician self-advocacy influences patient outcomes and family trust, emphasizing collective action and alliances with families.

She describes major early intervention barriers including low reimbursement, lack of providers, long service delays, inadequate mileage/supplies/PPE support, safety risks in home-based care, limited multilingual clinicians, and inequitable access for low-income and immigrant families; she notes New York’s crisis, telehealth reimbursement cuts, and proposed but limited fixes such as reimbursement increases, SLPAs, and loan programs.

Reforms include centering disabled individuals’ voices and recognizing early support reduces later costs. Strategies include using ethics guidance, educating families on rights/resources, joining professional associations, collaborating locally with colleagues and officials, framing advocacy as organizational benefit, mentoring, and protecting mental health while staying informed.

In this podcourse episode, we welcome back Pediatric SLP Rachel May, founder and CEO of New Day Child Coaching, to discuss reframing SLP involvement in infancy (0–12 months) from a “wait and see” approach to proactive “watch and support” partnering with families. Rachel shares concerns about fragmented caregiver-child interaction, screen-related distractions, and late referrals, and proposes a Pathwise framework that moves beyond a binary “typical vs delayed” model to include “different,” with three support levels: watch/support, learn to support (coaching), and advocate for support (prescriptive therapy). They review early communication “breaks” to monitor in 6–9 months, including canonical babbling, joint attention/gaze following, and social engagement in interactive games like peekaboo, noting why these markers matter for later language and developmental outcomes. Rachel also outlines family-partnering strategies such as embedded coaching in daily routines and video-aided reflection to empower parents as primary observers and advocates.

In this podcourse episode, we are joined by Elise Mitchell, an SLP and school contracting consultant, about moving from burnout to renewed purpose through school contracting.

Elise shares her background working with a staffing agency at the executive level, consulting provider-run businesses on school contracting, hosting the Beyond the Big Agencies podcast, and founding the Therapist Support Network to support SLPs, OTs, PTs, and assistants in building sustainable school-based work through direct contracting with an emphasis on ethical growth, pricing, compliant contracts, and autonomy.

We discuss why burnout persists among school-based SLPs, emphasizing that caseload size alone does not explain workload and that research and clinician reports point to reduced autonomy, limited control over setting/caseload/workload, and feelings of ineffectiveness and being overextended.

Elise describes how contracting can feel different by creating a business-to-business relationship where clinicians can set contractual boundaries around caseload, schedule, availability, group size (including virtual group limits), and billable tasks (including paperwork), while still adhering to legal and compliance requirements.

Contracting can also allow clinicians to choose schools that align with their values (e.g., rural districts), establish clearer scope-of-work boundaries, and exit contracts more easily via notice terms; they note some states favor short-term contracts such as maternity/FMLA coverage.We explore how contracting can help clinicians reconnect with meaningful work by reducing non-therapy duties, focusing on student impact, restoring professional autonomy, and enabling rate-setting beyond teacher pay scales.

We also define autonomy in practical terms—control over schedule/time, rate, student population, and the type of work performed (e.g., supervision/evaluations only vs. direct treatment only). And also discuss trends such as easier recruiting for virtual roles, challenges sustaining virtual work long-term, and barriers like facilitator requirements.

This episode discusses the significance of understanding and leveraging personal values through a strengths-based profile, and how these principles guided can guide you in creating a value-based vision board for 2026.

It includes overcoming professional obstacles, making tough business decisions, and maintaining a balance between personal life and business ambitions.

Tune in for tips on aligning your goals with your values and setting realistic, attainable targets for the year.

In this podcourse episode, Dr. Tara McAllister, an Associate Professor at NYU, discusses the impact of biofeedback on speech therapy, particularly for children struggling with the /r/ sound.

She explains key findings from a recent randomized controlled trial, highlighting how biofeedback can enhance speech learning.

Dr. McAllister also introduces the staRt app, designed to make biofeedback more accessible and affordable for clinicians.

The conversation delves into the ongoing debate between motor control and phonological explanations for children's speech patterns, advocating for a balanced understanding of both factors.

Additionally, Dr. McAllister shares her research on expanding biofeedback to other speech sounds and the potential of AI in supporting speech therapy.

In this podcourse episode, we interview Dr. Genesis Arizmendi about flipping the traditional script on bilingual assessment and practice. Dr. Arizmendi introduces FLiP (Functional Language Proficiency), a methodology she developed to better capture bilingual children's communicative competences in real-world contexts. She shares her background and journey in speech-language pathology, bilingual education, and implementation science. The discussion delves into the key features of the FLiP methodology, its design, and the study's conclusions, highlighting how FLiP can inform culturally responsive practices and reduce misdiagnosis of bilingually developing students. Dr. Arizmendi also emphasizes the need for more asset-based frameworks in assessment and the importance of understanding bilingualism as a resource rather than a risk factor. Key takeaways include the practical applications of the FLiP task in various settings and the ongoing work to make it more accessible to practitioners.

In this podcourse episode, we interview Alice Williams, an experienced Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA) and entrepreneur, about the challenges and opportunities within the SLPA field.

The discussion covers ethical challenges faced by SLPAs, the importance of proper supervision, and the mutual benefits of collaboration between SLPs and SLPAs. Alice shares her journey into speech pathology, the founding of the SLPA Network, and her vision for a more unified and empowered SLPA profession. She also sheds light on the disparities in SLPA certification and the need for better educational and professional support.

This episode is a deep dive into the evolving landscape of the SLPA role, aimed at fostering a collaborative and supportive environment for all speech-language pathology professionals.

In this podcourse episode, we celebrate the show's 10th anniversary by welcoming back Amy Graham from Graham Speech Therapy as we explore the relationship between oral facial myofunctional disorders (OMDs) and speech sound disorders (SSDs).

Amy offers insights from her 25 years of experience as a Speech-Language Pathologist, discussing the importance of differential diagnosis, evidence-based practices for treating SSDs, and debunking myths about the effectiveness of OMD therapy in treating speech issues.

This comprehensive discussion includes practical advice for SLPs, highlights from Amy's extensive career, and specific strategies to improve speech therapy outcomes.

In this episode, I am joined by Stephanie Lo-Presti, an experienced Speech-Language Pathologist,as she introduces a comprehensive and innovative Speech and Language Protocol and Assessment Tool.

Designed to merge developmental psychology with speech-language pathology, this tool is particularly powerful for evaluating and treating children with diverse needs, including those who are clinically untestable.

Stephanie shares her extensive background and the motivation behind creating a dynamic assessment model that empowers SLPs to make intuitive, evidence-based clinical decisions.

The discussion provides an in-depth look at the protocol's unique features, such as its dynamic and flexible approach, its ability to identify a child's zone of proximal development, and its effectiveness in tracking and fostering real-world communication skills.

Stephanie also hints at future plans for digitalizing the tool into an app to further aid clinicians in their therapeutic endeavors.

Visit Speechie Side Up to learn more about this episode.

In this episode, I am joined by Gabriella Gizzo, a licensed Speech Therapist and author, as she discuss her journey and inspirations behind her children's book 'Sophie's Special Story,' which aims to support SLPs in effectively targeting speech goals within high caseloads.

Gabriella delves into the publishing process, the benefits of her book for parents and teachers, and her experience working with children with visual and cognitive impairments. She also highlights the importance of incorporating playful elements into therapy, exemplified by the character Sophie.

Visit Speechie Side Up to learn more about this episode.

In this episode, I am joined by Sharlet Jensen, author of 'Paws for Progress' and owner of Speech Dogs, as she discuss the wide scope of animal-assisted interventions beyond therapy dogs, incorporating various animals like cats, horses, and farm animals.

Sharlet shares her journey of integrating therapy dogs into her speech therapy practice, including the benefits, such as rapport building and sensory regulation, and challenges like liability insurance.

Sharlet also offers practical insights on selecting and working with therapy dogs, making a case for the potentials in the speech therapy field.

Visit Speechie Side Up to learn more about this episode.

In this episode, I am joined by Erin Vance, a seasoned speech-language pathologist with 26 years of experience, as she shares invaluable advice for professionals in the field.

Erin emphasizes the importance of advocating for clients and oneself, even if it means simply showing up. She discusses the growing challenges within the field, particularly post-COVID, and the impact of social media on communication skills.

Erin also shares her personal journey of being diagnosed with ADHD and how it has reshaped her approach to her work.

She highlights the need for sensitivity and adaptability when working with diverse populations and stresses the power speech-language pathologists hold in making significant impacts. Visit Speechie Side Up to learn more about this episode.